Behind Clean Lines

Could your food company be tomorrow’s headline for all the wrong reasons?

Food poisening can be a devastating for the consumer. And for the food company involved, it too comes with high costs:  It will damage reputation, shut down lines, trigger recalls, and put entire businesses at risk.

In this episode of Behind Clean Lines, food safety attorney Bill Marler shares three decades of experience from the front lines of outbreaks. 

He’s seen how E. coli in hamburgers, listeria in ice cream, and unpasteurized juice ended up in courtrooms - and why the warning signs were visible long before disaster struck.

For food manufacturers, the message is clear: regulators may not catch every risk. That responsibility falls on your processes, your supply chains, and your culture.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. The weak spots in production where contamination typically begins.
2. Why supplier practices can make or break your food safety strategy.
3. How genome sequencing is changing traceability and liability.
4. Where contracts and documentation protect you (or leave you exposed).

Episode Content
00:08 Introduction to foodborne illness lawyer, Bill Marler
01:10 Process after a food contamination case reported  
04:48 Current statistics on foodborne illnesses in America  
06:43 Tracing pathogens: The outbreak investigation process  
09:20 Role of CDC and genetic fingerprinting in food safety  
12:25 Manufacturer liability in food contamination cases  
15:40 Importance of supplier relationships in food safety  
23:42 Food safety culture: Engaging professionals in prevention  
28:12 The moral vs. PR dilemma in food safety  
30:41 Recommendations for manufacturers to enhance safety  
34:31 Current battles against public health challenges  

This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

Is hygienic design just another line on your to-do list, or the overlooked key to avoiding production nightmares?

In this episode of Behind Clean Lines, we talk with Jennifer Crandall, CEO of Safe Food En Route. With over 20 years in the food industry, she’s seen what happens when manufacturers treat hygienic design as an afterthought. 

Spoiler: it gets expensive, fast.

We get straight to the point – how early design decisions impact everything from contamination risks to your next downtime crisis (and your profit margins, of course). 
If you're in food manufacturing, this one’s worth your time. Give it a listen. It might save you more than just money.

In this episode, you'll learn about:
1. Building a business case for hygienic design in food production.
2. Financial risks of neglecting hygienic design from the start.
3. Impact of design on product safety and market deadlines.
4. Importance of involving experienced food safety experts early.
5. Long-term benefits of strategic investment in hygienic construction.

Episode Content
00:08 Introduction to Hygienic Design with Jennifer Crandall  
01:07 The Importance of Early Hygienic Design Decisions  
02:42 How Poor Design Leads to Costly Redesigns  
05:20 The Role of Food Safety in Company Culture  
07:58 Encouraging Investor Awareness on Hygienic Design  
10:12 Avoiding Redesign: Real-World Cost Examples  
12:30 Understanding Purchasability in Food Safety Context  
15:50 The Impact of Accumulative Costs on Operations  
20:10 Key Factors in Food Safety Due Diligence  
24:29 Investigating Accumulative Costs through Environmental Monitoring  
29:15 Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Companies  
32:42 Final Advice: Engage Experienced Food Safety Professionals

Production
This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

Biofilm might sound harmless, but for food manufacturers, it’s a hidden threat that can take a serious toll on hygiene standards – and on your bottom line. Left unchecked, it risks production downtime, costly recalls, and long-term damage to your reputation.

In this episode of ‘Behind Clean Lines’, Mikkel Svold is again joined by Debra Smith, a global hygiene expert and biologist at Vikan. Together, they cut through the jargon and get straight to the practical advice on tackling biofilm; 
What it is
Why it’s a challenge and most importantly,
What you can do about it. 

Deb shares real-world tips, from getting your engineering and hygiene teams on the same page, to using smarter cleaning tools and detergents that actually work.

If food safety and protecting your operations matter to you, this episode is worth your time. Give it a listen, and take away ideas you can act on today.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

1. Differences between biofilms and single-celled microbes in cleaning.
2. Effective cleaning methods for combating biofilms in food factories.
3. Importance of validated cleaning and disinfection protocols.
4. Role of a cross-functional task force in biofilm management.
5. Emerging technologies for improved biofilm control.
6. Strategies for nurturing a strong food safety culture.

Episode Content

00:09 Introduction to the episode and guest, Deb Smith  
00:53 Key differences between biofilm and single-celled microbes  
01:45 Effective cleaning and disinfection methods for biofilm  
04:10 The concept and importance of a joint task force  
07:06 Common contradictions in hygiene and engineering teams  
10:49 Emerging technologies for biofilm management in food industry  
12:23 First steps for implementing better hygienic practices  
14:04 Challenges of instilling a strong food safety culture

Production
This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

Are your production installations doing their job, or are they holding your production back? 

It’s easy to overlook their impact, but production installations like electrical raceways play a key role in keeping your operations safe, clean, and efficient.  

In this episode of ‘Behind Clean Lines’ we sit down with Steve Voelzke from Robroy Industries to tackle this often-missed priority in food production. Steve shares straightforward tips on getting your production and overhead installations right — whether you're planning a new facility or upgrading an existing one.  

We’ll talk about practical solutions for avoiding contamination risks, cutting downtime, and designing for flexibility. Plus, Steve shares lessons from real-world projects that can help you prevent costly mistakes.  

In this episode, you'll learn about:
• Practical improvements for overhead production installations.  
• Strategies for achieving cleaner production environments.  
• The impact of effective design on food safety compliance.  
• Insights on overcoming challenges with retrofitting facilities.  
• Importance of ongoing education in facility construction and operation.  
• Enhancing collaboration across teams for better outcomes.
Episode Content00:09 Introduction
01:34 Current practices in overhead installations and design  
02:24 Evolution of facility design over the last decade  
03:41 Role of the Food Modernization Act in industry changes  
05:49 Importance of training and audits during construction  
07:06 Continuous improvement through client collaboration  
11:06 Practical steps for OEMs in facility design and installation  
12:57 Risks and costs of contamination in food production  
13:45 Strategies for retrofitting existing production facilities  
15:31 Closing thoughts
ProductionThis podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.

What comes to mind when you hear “contamination” in food factories?

For most people, it’s microbes. But there’s a bigger, tougher problem most don’t see: biofilms. These stubborn bacterial colonies are hard to remove and can lead to serious food safety issues.

In this episode of ‘Behind Clean Lines’, we talk with Debra Smith, a global hygiene specialist and microbiologist at Vikan. She breaks down what biofilms are, how they form, and why they’re such a challenge to food safety.

From a devastating listeria outbreak to critical cleaning practices, Deb shares real-world examples and practical advice to help protect your operations.

We’ll look at the essentials—like equipment design and cleaning processes—and how they play a essential role in fighting biofilms. You’ll also learn how to build a stronger food safety culture within your team.

Episode Content
00:08 Introduction to biofilm and its importance  
01:07 What is biofilm and how does it form?  
02:42 Consequences of biofilm: A listeria incident  
04:13 European biofilm cases: lessons learned  
06:15 Key differences between microbes and biofilm   
08:55 Growth conditions and timeframes for biofilm  
11:10 Biofilm communication: Quorum sensing explained  
12:47 Mitigating biofilm risks in food factories  
14:22 Closing thoughts and future topics on biofilm

Production
This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S
This podcast is produced by Montanus

This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
This podcast is produced by Montanus.